Sprinkler ban starts today in Tauranga as sweltering heatwave beats on

Tauranga City Council have imposed a sprinkler ban coming into force at 9am today. Photo / File

A sprinkler ban in Tauranga begins at 9am today following high water usage combined with dry weather conditions.

Tauranga City Council is asking residents to stop the use of garden sprinklers and irrigation systems until further notice.

Residents are able to continue to water their gardens, by hose or watering can between 5am and 8am, and from 7pm to 10pm.

City Waters manager Steve Burton said that Tauranga residents' efforts to conserve water have enabled restrictions to be held off so far.

"We've made it this far into summer thanks to residents' efforts, but with temperatures climbing further recently we've seen water use jump again," said Burton.

"With no rain on the horizon we now need to place a ban on the use of sprinklers."

The city's current water demand is up by 30 per cent on normal average water use. Average usage is about 40 million litres per day and the current demand is more than 52 million litres per day.

"There's a limit to the amount of drinking water we are able to process in a day and recently we've been getting close to that limit on a daily basis," Burton said.

"There's enough to go around if everyone does their bit to conserve water, especially when it comes to watering the garden. Small changes in how we use water around the house can have a big impact in the long run."

Tauranga City Council is investing $115 million in the development of a new water supply that will meet the future needs of Tauranga and the wider Western Bay of Plenty, and provide relief for summer water demands from 2021.

For further information and tips on water conservation in and around the house, head to www.tauranga.govt.nz/savingwater.